Rickia Jackson scored the best 30 points of the career and held seven rebounds to lead Los Angeles Sparks to win the 97–89 win over hosts Las Vegas Aces on Wednesday night.
Azura Stevens recorded 19 points and 10 rebounds and Deerica Hambi added 19 points, eight rebounds and seven assistance to Sparks (4-7). Former ace star Kelsey Plum scored 13 points and nine in his second game in Las Vegas, since it was traded at Offsen in Los Angeles.
Jackie Young matched her career with the best of 34 points and stole eight rebounds and three for Aces (4-4). Chelsea Gray scored six 3-pointers scoring 28 points.
Las Vegas lost three times MVP Aja Wilson for a head injury and missed the final 11:17 of the competition. Wilson was early hit into the nose in the game and haze was needed to prevent bleeding.
Wilson scored 13 points but only 2 -12 shooting. He also had eight rebounds and four blocked shots before leaving late in the third quarter.
Las Vegas dropped only 37.5 percent from the ground and 9 out of 35 (25.7 percent) from the 3-point range to the Commissioner Cup 1-2 in Western Conference Play.
Los Angeles, which is 2–2 in the commissioner’s cup play, shot 56.9 percent from the ground and 9 out of 20 (45.0 percent) from the back of the arc (45.0 percent).
A 3-pointer by Gray pulled Las Vegas within 60–56 with 3:11 in the third quarter. Los Angeles scored seven of the next 10 points with Jackson’s three-point play with a gain of 67–59 with 1:12 rest.
Los Angeles led 71–65 in the final quarter, but gained 14 points before Shlok’s midway point. Hambi replaced back-to-back shots to start 10–2 runs and Jackson’s basket gave Sparks a lead of 86–72 by 5:22.
Las Vegas created a charge and used a tray from gray and a basket and transferred by youth to 1:44 within 93–87.
Plum kept the game away with two free throw with 20.1 seconds. Plum killed all its nine free throw efforts.
Jackson had 14 points, Stevens scored 13 and Hambi scored 12 runs as Los Angeles took a 50–41 halftime lead. Young had 14 and Gray had 12 in half for the aces.
The sparks were warm compared to lava in the first 14 minutes, taking advantage of 15 out of 18 field goal attempts (83.3 percent) and 7 out of 8 from the 3-point range.
Las Vegas responded with 11 straight points to get back within the range.
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